According to Epicurean, this dish is a gastronomic delight.  Périgueux (Périgord) sauce is a famous symbol of Aquitaine gastronomy and, since it is made almost exclusively from truffles it is a very special dish that is not to be missed!  Enough said, I think!

Recipe adapted from http://www.epicurien.be

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 tenderloin beef  roast (about 1 kg) and tied with string
• 3 tbsp oil
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flour
• 200ml dry white wine
• 200ml beef consommé (concentrated, clarified beef stock)
• 2 tbsp cognac
• 1 whole truffle finely chopped or a small can of truffle pieces
• Salt and pepper

 

How to do it?

Firstly, pre heat the oven to 220°C and place the roast in a baking tray on top of a couple of lengths of cooking twine.  Tie these off around the meat, to hold it firm while it roasts.  Rub with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper.

 

 

I turned my dish into a bit of a Sunday Roast by throwing in some potatoes and carrot to roast alongside the beef.  I also added a few sprigs of thyme as well (I can’t help myself, I have to play around with the recipes….!)

 

 

Place the beef in the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until cooked to your liking.   I know beef needs to be quite pink, but that simply was not going to fly in my household so I took it a bit further than the 25 minutes the recipe required.

 

Making the sauce …

While the beef is cooking, finely dice your shallots  and fry them off in some oil being careful not to let them brown.  When the shallots are soft, sprinkle over the flour  and stir it in before adding the white wine, stirring again, and then adding the stock.

 

 

 

Stir the sauce well over a medium heat and reduce by half or until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Once the roast is ready, remove it from the pan and wrap it in foil to rest for 10 minutes or so before slicing.

 

 

Place the baking tray on the stove top over a medium heat and deglaze it with the cognac, scraping well with a spatula to get up  and stir in all the yummy caramelised bits.

Stir in the diced truffle, season with salt and pepper and place it back on the stove top to heat through while you slice the beef.

 

 

Serve with roasted vegetables and beans served with butter and roasted almonds!